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RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Wanganui-Manawatu Sea Fishing Club leader raises alarm over seabed mining project
Jamie Newell, diving off South Taranaki, says large areas of one of New Zealand's most important fisheries could be wiped out by seabed mining. Photo: Supplied The commodore of the Wanganui-Manawatu Sea Fishing Club is raising the alarm over a seabed mining project he never believed would happen. "With it being turned down by the Supreme Court and there being a court-ordered environmental hearing, I never, ever thought it would get to this point," Jamie Newell told Local Democracy Reporting. The Whanganui diver, fisherman and business owner said large areas of one of New Zealand's most important fisheries could be wiped out by an Australian miner's desire to mine minerals off the South Taranaki coast. Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) wants to extract up to 50 million tonnes a year of seabed material a year. It would recover an estimated 5 million tonnes of vanadium-rich titanomagnetite concentrate and then dump unwanted sediment back into the sea. TTR withdrew from an environmental hearing to apply for marine consents via the coalition government's new fast-track approvals regime. Newell, who manages family-run fishing and outdoors business Marine Services Whanganui, said low reefs in the South Taranaki Bight would be smothered by the dumping of 45 million tonnes a year of "dredge tailings" for 20 years. Recreational fishers and local businesses could be left reeling for decades, he said. "That's extremely concerning. I'm extremely worried for what that sediment would do to our marine environment and how dramatically it could change recreational fishing off there." Newell said he feared the impact of silt pollution on precious reef life. "I was brought up diving the coastline and my father dived it as well. I've done a lot of exploratory diving out to 45m. I've seen personally how clear it is out there - and I'm worried. "We have some very diverse ecosystems off this coastline - some of the most scenic you could ever hope to see. The reef life is some of the best in the world. "It's a very unreal place, one of the only places we have like this in the whole of the North Island. "You can be out there with 60 to 100 kingis swimming around you, being inquisitive. No movie could ever replicate that." Wanganui-Manawatu Sea Fishing Club commodore Jamie Newell. Photo: Supplied Over the past six or seven years, Newell has mapped many of the reefs he's dived using new marine electronics. "The detail we can see now is far beyond what we've been able to see before. You can know every rock and gully and face on those reefs." Pumping 90% of the extracted materials back into the ocean would result in a huge volume of displaced sediment, he said. "Niwa and TTR have done research around and inland of that area, but I've yet to see any research on the reefs downcurrent of there - the ones that will be affected. "Most of the tailings will follow the east to west currents and flow back to Whanganui. "TTR knows there will be problems in those areas, so they've left that research undone." TTR proposes mining from waters 20m to 50m deep, between 22km and 36km offshore. While inner reefs were quite tall, with faces 5m to 15m high, and would not be as affected by the dredging, some deeper reefs were low and flat, lying only about a metre and a half high. "It won't take much at all to cover them." Ocean contours dropped off into a hole about 30-40m lower than the dredging zone, he said. "That's one of our main reef structure areas. The silt's going to settle on that area between the mining zone and the back of Graham Bank, and it will hit all the reefs there." Jamie Newell and partner Melissa Churchouse. Newell says dredging tailings will wipe out a swathe of the area's reef fisheries. Photo: Supplied Newell said from a depth of around 30m, wave action did not disturb the seabed. "Pumping silt back onto it will silt up reefs that don't naturally get silt on them." Niwa had reported that tailings dumped into water 35-70m deep would move up to 20km from the mining site and Newell feared the sediment would cover a swathe of low-lying reef structure. "Reef life will lose its habitat. The tailings are going to wipe out a large part of our reef fisheries, the likes of our blue cod, terakihi and hāpuka. It's where 90 percent of our terakihi get caught. "Our numbers of snapper and crayfish and kingis are recovering and growing faster than ever. We have an exceptional recreational crayfishery here. What's this going to do to them?" Newell has been with the sea fishing club in Whanganui for more than 10 years. "At no point has TTR engaged with us. We have more than 250 members, all fishing in that area. We would be the largest recreational user of the fishing grounds east of the seabed mining zone. "They've never talked to us. As part of a consent process, I would have thought that would have been part of what you'd need to do." Newell said smothering reef fisheries would affect his and other businesses. "If people can't go out to catch a feed of fish as easily, they're going to stop trying. We'll lose customers if the habitats are no longer there, and there will be flow-on effects for other businesses. "We've been a family business for 34 years. We employ 22 staff - that's 22 families that rely on our business." Newell has raised his concerns with Whanganui MP Carl Bates. He called a fishing club meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue and spoke with Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop during the Minister's visit to Whanganui on Friday. Bishop is one of the ministers overseeing the Fast-track Approvals regime. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Fast-track mining projects: The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits
By By Glenn Banks* of Photo: 123rf Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other side of the equation - economic growth and investment, the government's rationale for new mines - is rarely interrogated. In fact, the environmental and economic debates are inseparable. Section 85(3)(b) of the Fast Track Approval Act allows for project applications to be declined if any "adverse impacts are sufficiently significant to be out of proportion to the project's regional or national benefits". So, the claims of economic benefits from the current round of proposals need to be scrutinised closely. If those benefits don't stack up, any adverse environmental impacts become harder to justify. Having spent more than 35 years researching and consulting on mining projects and mineral policy in the Pacific, I have noted several important economic characteristics of the mining industry. First, the capital spend - the setup cost of an operation - is typically largely spent offshore. In the case of Trans-Tasman Resources, currently seeking to fast-track seabed mining off the Taranaki coast, this amounts to 95 percent of the $1 billion construction estimate. This will largely be spent on the building in China of a huge, sophisticated barge and two 450-tonne seabed crawlers. The government's recent Investment Boost policy will also mean 20 percent of this investment is an immediate tax deduction for the company - money lost offshore to the foreign investor. Second, any estimate of annual revenue, operational costs, taxation and distribution of net profit has to come with a caveat. Annual variations in all these factors are typical across the sector due to commodity price volatility, high rates of depreciation on capital expenditure, unexpected events, and exposure to changing operating costs. The same applies to average annual figures for taxes and royalties. Mineral resource companies cannot be regarded as stable sources of government revenue. For example, foreign-owned OceanaGold - the largest gold producer in the country and operator of the MacRaes Flat and Waihi mines - paid no corporate income tax in 2021 or 2023 on gold production worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Essentially, the country can often receive a minimal share of the value of its own natural resources. Unlike forestry, dairy, wine, tourism and other major sectors, with mining we don't get a second chance: when the resource is gone, it's really gone. If New Zealand does decide to expand mineral resource extraction, however, there are four things that could be done to ensure the country benefits more. 1. Adopt international best practice Over the past 30 years, the international mining sector has developed a range of best-practice guidelines, such as those developed by the International Council on Metals and Mining . These have been adopted by leading global mining corporations elsewhere to ensure ethical behaviours, high levels of social and environmental performance, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and conservation of biodiversity. International bodies such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative also provide a means for signatory countries and their citizens to track the economic contributions mining (and oil) companies make. 2. Capture a fair share of resource value Aside from being levied a small 2 percent royalty on the value of the minerals produced (or 10 percent of net profits, whichever is higher), mining companies are effectively treated like any other sector. But the price of mining commodities and revenues, and the operational costs, are highly volatile. A better model might involve a simple calculation made each year to determine the total value of mineral exports from each operation. An agreed, a mandatory proportion - half or two-thirds, perhaps - would then be required to accrue within New Zealand. This proportion of the value of the mineral resource exported should take into account local employment, locally sourced operational expenses, taxes and royalties. An additional tax could then be applied that brings the local share of the export value up to the agreed proportion, if needed. 3. Mandate a return to communities Another common mechanism found in many countries is the community-level or regional development agreement . These exist at some New Zealand mine sites now, but they are not mandatory. They return a share of the value of the government's take from the sector back to the communities or regions where the resource has come from. While mining companies often make voluntary "corporate social responsibility" contributions to local communities, these are not community-led programs funded from a share of the mining royalties collected from the region. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has said he is looking at redirecting a greater share of mining royalties to the regions where mining takes place , particularly the west coast of the South Island. 4. Establish a form of sovereign wealth fund Famously, Norway and the US state of Alaska have established hundred-billion-dollar trust funds by putting aside a proportion of mining and oil revenues. These funds now support national budgets, lower or eliminate taxes, and provide a mechanism for the intergenerational transfer of mineral resource wealth. New Zealand's current oil, gas and mining sector is not of these magnitudes. But if the country does decide to significantly expand its extractive sector, we should be thinking about a "fair share" in intergenerational terms, too. A local sovereign wealth fund might not be huge to begin with. But if it were used effectively, it could grow and deliver ongoing benefits from non-renewable mineral resources. Without proper attention to the economic implications of mining, New Zealand risks being doubly worse off: few guaranteed long-term economic benefits from its own mineral resource, but still living with the inevitable environmental effects of those mines. * Glenn Banks is a Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa - Massey University This article was first published by The Conversation .
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Waitangi Tribunal registers claim calling for urgent hearing into fast tracked plans to mine seabed off Pātea
The Waitangi Tribunal is considering a claim filed by south Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui concerning a Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) shallow-seabed mining project approved under the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024. Ngāti Ruanui has lodged an application for an urgent hearing asking the Tribunal to investigate alleged breaches of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in the fast-track approvals process . The Tribunal says the claim has been added to the register but a hearing has not yet been granted and is still being considered. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Kaiwhakahāere Rachel Arnott said the legislation excluded iwi and hapū from meaningful engagement when it mattered most. "The government has failed comprehensively under fast-track to consult with tangata whenua, ignored the Supreme Court and is failing to apply the principles of Te Tiriti. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and this government is doing it all wrong The tribunal will now consider whether the government has breached Treaty of Waitangi principles and if it failed to sufficiently involve or consider rangatiratanga, kaitiakitanga and the customary rights of Ngāti Ruanui. The tribunal stated the iwi's claim falls within the scope of the Natural Resources and Environmental Management kaupapa inquiry . Along with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, other claimant groups include: Groups outside Taranaki facing applications have also joined, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki All eight Taranaki iwi have publicly opposed the seabed mining project. In May, Ngā Iwi o Taranaki released a statement on behalf of the eight post-settlement governance entity iwi of Taranaki, voicing their support for South Taranaki iwi in their opposition to seabed mining off the coast of Pātea. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Iwi granted Waitangi Tribunal hearing into fast-tracked plans to mine seabed off Pātea
People marching through Patea in a hīkoi to oppose seabed mining, on 2 October, 2024. Photo: Supplied/ Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust The Waitangi Tribunal has granted iwi a hearing into the way the Fast-track Approvals Act has been used to seek approval to mine the seabed off Pātea. Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) has applied under the legislation to mine in the South Taranaki Bight. South Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui asked the tribunal to investigate alleged breaches of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in the fast-track approvals process . Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Kaiwhakahaere Rachel Arnott said the legislation excluded iwi and hapu from meaningful engagement when it mattered most. "The government has failed comprehensively under fast-track to consult with tangata whenua, ignored the Supreme Court and is failing to apply the principles of Te Tiriti. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and this government is doing it all wrong." The tribunal will now consider whether the government has breached Treaty of Waitangi principles and if it failed to sufficiently involve or consider rangatiratanga, kaitiakitanga and the customary rights of Ngāti Ruanui. The tribunal stated the iwi's claim falls within the scope of the Natural Resources and Environmental Management kaupapa inquiry . Along with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, other claimant groups include: Groups outside Taranaki facing applications have also joined, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki. All eight Taranaki iwi have publicly opposed the seabed mining project. In May, Ngā Iwi o Taranaki released a statement on behalf of the eight post-settlement governance entity iwi of Taranaki, voicing their support for South Taranaki iwi in their opposition to seabed mining off the coast of Pātea. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
New Plymouth council draws line in sand over seabed mining
Allan Eggers addressing a packed public gallery. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin New Plymouth District Council has drawn a line in the sand and voted to oppose seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, and in particular the Trans-Tasman Resources' proposal currently going through the Fast Track consenting process. Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes tabled a motion calling for the move and after three hours of deputations and debate her colleagues backed it overwhelmingly - with just two councillors voting against . Trans-Tasman Resources managing chairman Allan Eggers said the vote was disappointing, but would not deter the company which would maintain its focus on the Fast Track process. Clinton-Gohdes, meanwhile, was proud of the council's stand which was met with cheers from a packed public gallery. "It was really important to our community and to me to bring this debate to council, so we could present the views of our community who were asking us to draw a clear line in the sand. I'm really proud of our council for doing the right thing. "It's about representing our community and what they've asked us to do and that we do our up most to protect our environment for future generations." Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Trans- Tasman Resources has approval to vacuum up 50 million tonnes of sand annually from the South Taranaki seabed for 35 years to extract iron, vanadium and titanium, but the company still needs consent to discharge 45 million tonnes of unwanted sediment a year back into the shallow waters. The company has previously been thwarted through legal challenges right up to the Supreme Court and pulled out of an Environmental Protection Authority hearing in 2024 in favour of the Fast Track consenting process. Last week, TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers made an hour-long presentation to a council workshop outlining the project's environmental and economic credentials. Ahead of debate on the Clinton-Gohdes' motion, council heard deputations from groups opposed to seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight. Ngā iwi o Taranaki and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa chair Liana Poutu. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Ngā iwi o Taranaki and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa chair Liana Poutu told councillors TTR's claim it had engaged with iwi didn't stack up. "Our reality is our engagement with them under this current application - under the Fast Track process - has been a letter. "One letter that says 'we understand you are opposed. We are going to record your opposition in our application, but if you have anything else to add we look forward to hearing from you'. That's not engagement." Representatives of environmental groups Project Reef, the Ngāmotu Marine Reserve Society and Protect Our Moana challenged Eggers' evidence that there was no significant marine life in the vicinity of TTR's proposed project. Project Reef's Karen Pratt said for a decade it had collected data and shared images from reefs that extended offshore from Pātea and into Exclusive Economic Zone revealing the "stunningly beautiful and vibrant healthy life to be found on South Taranaki's offshore reefs". Ngāmotu Marine Reserve Society representative Barbara Hammond told councillors that little blue penguins from the Marlborough Sounds swim up into the South Taranaki Bight, contrary to TTR's claim that the penguins stayed inshore. Ngāti Runaui iwi member, Te Pāti Māori co-leader and long-time opponent of seabed mining, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, also made a rare appearance in the council chamber. She said it was important to be there. "There's a sense of blocking, of not being heard, and some of these ministers that are choosing the [TTR] expert panel have been really outspoken in support of it [the project] so it's out of frustration you have to come back to your own local entities, your own local politicians." During debate on the motion, councillor Bryan Vickery reflected the view of most councillors when he evoked the cult classic Australian film The Castle . "It's about the vibe and the vibe is from a natural justice point of view - all eight iwi are opposed to it, the majority of Taranaki people from all walks of life are opposed to it and we have to - in my opinion - represent the dreams, values and aspirations of our community." Councillors Murray Chong. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Councillors Murray Chong and Max Brough voted against the motion. Chong argued the Taranaki economy was shrinking and the province had to grasp all opportunities for growth, while Brough thought the motion went too far and precluded companies with better credentials than TTR coming to present seabed mining proposals. "What if there was a mining company that came and did it properly and said 'look we've got all of this and we've got mitigation in place and we've done all of these steps everyone's been asking us to do' then we could give it a fair hearing, but that's not happening." TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers said the vote was disappointing. "Of course it concerns me. I think there's a lot of misinformation being spread by opponents of the project. They are certainly not relying on the facts - they're scaremongering and out there to discredit the company, the management of the company, and aren't really interested in the facts." He stood by the evidence presented to council last week. "As to credibility, all of our information has been provided to the Fast Track team and that information has been underpinned by independent expert reports on every aspect and well-tested. We can't see why our credibility would be questioned at all." TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin ' Eggers said the vote wouldn't derail the project. "We're focused on continuing with our Fast Track application and all our information is in front of the Fast Track panel, and it's available for anyone who wants to access it." He was at a loss to explain why the NPDC would oppose TTR's application. "That's a matter for the council. I'm not sure why they are even taking these votes, but that's up to them. "Our project will not have any effect on New Plymouth - except a positive one in terms of jobs and significant economic stimulus and delivering some prosperity to the area." Largely symbolic, the vote sees New Plymouth join Whanganui and South Taranaki district councils in formally opposing seabed mining. Taranaki Regional Council, meanwhile, has retained a neutral stance, arguing to do otherwise might compromise its ability to appoint a representative to the expert panel which will decide TTR's consents application. Clinton-Gohdes' motion also proposed that council formally request that the panel convened by the Environmental Protection Authority use its discretion to allow NPDC to make written comment on the Trans-Tasman Resources application in accordance the Fast Track Approvals Act; and that if the EPA approved the council's request to comment, NPDC officers draft and submit written comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
